


Coming Home

by HapSky



Category: Free!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M, Makoto is a sweatheart, Matchmaking Attempt, melancholic!Aomine, some kind of angst, some kind of fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2017-01-13
Packaged: 2018-09-09 14:00:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 6,286
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8893357
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HapSky/pseuds/HapSky
Summary: Momoi arranges a date for her best friend, accidentally in a shabby café with another boy. Aomine doesn't seem to mind, though, as he finds a partner in crime in his date. Now it's payback time, right?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A challenge my sis asked me to do, so here's a Free!xKnB Crossover  
> Sorry lil one, it's not the shipping you're used to and it's not as fabulous
> 
> I just like the notion of Aomine actually being a bit more serious and reflective  
> And I like the notion of Makoto actually being not only a sweet ray of sunshine sometimes, which he is nevertheless, but I think we can all agree to that

It's cold outside, snowflakes are silently falling down, just for being crushed to mud by cars and people passing by. Well, I couldn't care less. The cup of coffee is warm in my cold hands. Customers are rushing in and out the café I'm currently waiting in. It's not a nice place at all.

Old chairs, uncomfortable too, and old tables, plastic flowers lovelessly draped on them. It miffs in here and the atmosphere is somewhat dull. The drink tastes shabby too.

Why did Satsuki chose this one? I thought she would pick something more pleasant for a date of her childhood friend. But well, I'll just go through it. She would scold me if I'd ditch my date within the first ten minutes, so...let's say I could leave after fifteen?

My eyes wander off to the clock above the entrance door. Of course it's broken.

 

“Aomine?”, I hear a soft voice calling my name.

I see a young man walking over in my direction, guess I should answer. “What's up?”

The other smiles friendly, but uneasy as well. “Erm...I...”

So, a shy one. I don't want to deal with guys like him, but well, I have to?

“Anything I can help you with?”, if I solve his problem quickly he'll go away, right? And I'm supposed to have a date here soon, so a shy stranger with problems loitering around me isn't useful.

Or maybe it is? Could scare off the girl. Ah, but if I ditch a date again...

“I'm Tachibana”, the brunette boy speaks up, an apologetic glitter in his green eyes.

“I'm supposed to have a date with you? I'm sorry for being late!”, he apologises, “I first was...”

I stare at that Tachibana and fetch out my mobile, cutting him off midsentence.

“Satsuki...you kidding me?”, I ask. Politely.

“Dai-chaaan! What are you doing!? Aren't you on a date right now?”, she answers with her sing-sang-voice. I could get angry at her, but somehow, I don't feel like it.

“You planned a date for me in a shabby café with another guy”, I tell her. Politely. And then hang up on her. A heavy sigh escapes my mouth. And now? Could as well do the best out of that awkward situation.

“Go ahead, take a seat. Want to drink something? It won’t taste good, though”

Tachibana shyly laughs at that and sits down in front of me.

“I'm sorry for the trouble”, he mutters.

I shake my head, “It's alright”

He orders, we nip on the awful liquids in our cups, sometimes looking at each other.

Customers are rushing in and out, it still miffs in here and the chair grows more uncomfortable. It's still cold and snowing outside. And with time passing it also gets dark.

“So...you were tricked, too?”, he asks. Smiling.

“Guess so”, I grumble. “Got some friends insisting I should get into a relationship”

“Me too”, he chuckles quietly. “But I know they just care”

After that we fell silent again. Normally I don't like it. Being with other people. In a public place. But, I don't know, that Tachibana guy emits a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

 

“Excuse me, Sirs, we are closing now”, we're told an shooed out.

I don't mind and my ass cheers at that.

 

Walking down the streets next to each other my thoughts begin spinning around a crazy idea. We're in the exact same situation. And I don't mind him. So...why not? It could be quite some fun.

“Tachibana”, I ask, “why not paying them back?”

At first he's confused, not getting what I'm aiming at, but then a sly grin spreads on his lips and his eyes sparkle gleefully. Then he chuckles. Not much of the shy boy is left by now.

“So, you have a plan, darling?”

I'm grinning too, “Yeah, kind of, babe”

And then we laugh. And my, it feels good. Haven't laughed at full heart like that in quite some time. The day ended with Tachibana and me exchanging numbers and a smile on both our faces.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Next day, I casually walk into the changing room while Satsuki already awaits me. She doesn't look very pleased. More like upset.

“Satsuki!”, I greet her way more enthusiastically than I usually would.

“You're late”, she begins.

“Yup!”, no use in denying it.

“You ditched your date, didn't you?”, she inhales for another lecture.

But I stop her, “Nope!”

And I'm proud of that! I hate such things like going on a date.

“Went well this time!”, I explain, again, with way too enthusiastic joy in my voice.

“The café was outright nasty but that guy was pretty okay. Shy at first but then he warmed up and we had a really good time”

By now her confusion is clearly written on her face. But I begin to undress so she hurries to leave the room.

 

After practise we are sitting on the rooftop I usually am to find during lunch break, or during not lunch break.

“I arranged you a nice table at a nice place with a nice girl”, she finally gets to state, “I probably have an idea where you ended up yesterday, but absolutely not with whom”

Yeah, the 'where' problem was my fault. I wont blame her for me getting lost and accidentally happen to find the only other café with the exact same name within the near. I figured that out when I at home checked on the note she gave me. There was a description on it I simply had ignored, even with a warning that there are two 'Cemra's. So my bad. And it seems like the 'who' problem was a misunderstanding. On that website Satsuki signed me in Tachibana was signed in as “Mako-chaaan” (Tachibana told me that was a ridiculous nickname given him by the friend that signed him in). I would've suggested a girl behind that name too. But, well, the 'who' problem...actually wasn't that much of a problem anymore.

“Doesn't matter”, I mutter between two bites, “You don't have to look for new ones, too, so everything's just fine”

It takes some time for her to let my words sink in properly. I munch on my meal, she stares at me. I swallow and she stares. I bite off again and happily munch away.

“Wh...What?!”, she exclaims shocked, “You are dating a guy?!”

I nod at that. “But...I mean...You...Boobs??”, is all she stutters.

Choking a bit, the laugh crawling up my throat comes out as a weird chuckle.

“What about it? The guy's fine. No boobs, but nice ass”

I never looked at boys ever so pretending I'd do now is not that easy, but it's worth it. Besides, I'm not lying or something. That guy does have a nice ass.

“Nice ass”, she repeats my last words as if they were spoken in a foreign language.

I nod again, eating the rest of my lunch.

She blinks a few times, then smiles brightly. “So you finally are interested in someone else than yourself! When are you two going out again?”

I choke again. Wow. I didn't thought she would be fine with it so easily. I mean, me and a guy? Isn't that weird? And what the hell does she mean with 'someone else than yourself'?

“Friday”, I mumble, a bit irritated.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes a bit melancholy \\(^_^)/  
> And fluff at the end, it's Christmas Eve after all ;D

We did met that Friday afternoon. And the one after that and the one after. Sometimes we would just hang out at his apartment or mine, other times we would meet in the shabby “Cemra”, we even did a shopping tour once. Okay, it was mostly shops selling sport articles, but it was still shopping. Satsuki's expression when I told her was priceless. She seemed to have accepted the fact that her best friend actually really was dating another guy, but she knows me, too. So I guess she had half expected all being just a joke. And me proofing her wrong surprised her. I introduced the two properly and I showed no interest in women since then (I didn't know I really was that much obsessed with big boobs like I always got told I was, but damn, it was hard to not stare at the beginning). Next came the so called shopping trip, then I stayed over at his place and he at mine. We never do anything, but it appears that we somehow are very convincing without doing something. Maybe Satsuki believes it because of exactly that. We behave normal. I don't know what a gay couple would be supposed to do, so I just don't do anything and Tachibana is always just himself, too. Smiling, chuckling, talking normally. We talk about all kind of things, most of the time we wouldn't say a word though.

It sure was nice having that kind of a relationship, if you could even call it that.

But from time to time, I feel like just being alone. Today too.

 

Training was hell. It wasn't that bad before. I was relieved when I lost against Tetsu and his team. I was called a monster by both, my opponents and my comrades. Losing against someone seemed to be the proof I desperately had been longing for, that I am not. That I'm no monster, but still just a human being.

From there on, I thought I could enjoy basketball again. But I was wrong. It kept getting worse.

So I ended up here. Alone on the court. It is late at night, the street lamps are casting odd shadows on the ground. From time to time, when training at school feels like pure agony, my feet drive me back here to this street court. By now, the ball lays still underneath the basket. I silently watch it lying there, not moving the slightest. By doing so I don't notice myself being watched, too, till I hear footsteps approaching and an oh so gentle voice calling out for me.

 

“Aomine”, Tachibana quietly whispers, but with no other sounds echoing in the air I hear him clearly. I slowly tear my eyes away from the ball, looking at him over my shoulder.

He is tall, my height at least. Muscular back and upper body, arms too, from training. We're similar if one only considers our bodies. And yet, most people are scared by me. He on the other hand is indeed the most friendly, gentle and kind person I've ever met in life.

I turn back, staring at the basketball again.

“It's so quiet here”, I murmur, “and I feel so cold”

He silently walks to the ball, picks it up. I can't bring myself to meet his eyes when he returns it to me. Tachibana says nothing, he just takes my hand and slightly pulls on it, indicating I should follow after him. And so I do.

 

He guides me to his place. Guess I would stay over then. He leads me in his small room, gently pushing me onto the bed, then leaves without a word.

I let myself fall down into the pillows. They're soft. I close my eyes. My mind is blank. Or black. Or empty. Or whatever you might call it.

When I hear Tachibana entering the room I keep my eyes closed. He sits down besides me, I smell a pleasant scent. Like autumn flowers. It's comforting.

“I made tea”, he says, “Please drink some, you'll feel better, I promise”

So I sit up, take the cup he's holding out to me and sip on the amber liquid.

And of course I feel better. It tastes just...like him. Nice and warm and mild and kind and a little sweet, but not too much. I faintly smile.

 


	4. Chapter 4

I wake up to rustling and clattering noises and stumble into the kitchen. Tachibana cooks. And damn, it smells absolutely delicious. He once mentioned he wasn't that good at it, but I on the other hand was used to Satsuki's cooking, so his is just genius.

“Morning”, I yawn, my voice still drowsy. I slump down in the chair and doze off again.

“Good morning”, he answers with a smile and a little while later he puts down a plate with my breakfast on it. I don't know it's name, but I dig in and it tastes great.

“God, I love you for this, you know?”, I praise him.

He chuckles. “I know”

 

I had expected something, don't ask me what, but not that for sure. Maybe he would ask about yesterday, or perhaps not. We could've just made it to another hanging out together day, a Friday. Without anything special to it but our usual masquerade to pay back our friends. But, Tachibana had decided to make today something special. He spontaneously decided to visit his family back home. With me in tow.

 

So here I am, sitting in a train, Tachibana next to me fast asleep. It is crowded as hell in here, I wonder just how that guy is able to take a nap! I don't feel comfortable at all.

And again. My head is full of empty thoughts. Or blank ones. What did it matter how to call them? I stare into nothing, my mind trying to concentrate on Tachibana's soft and steady breathing. Before I notice it we've arrived at our destination.

 

His home town is a fishing village. Salty smell of the sea, old streets and alleys, buildings completely different than what I'm used to. Small and oddly formed, like they would give in every moment out of their own weight. Some I would even call creepy. But well, I'm used to high buildings with a clear front, straight, sharp lines, a dirty grey on their surfaces, one could also call those soulless. Because if there was one thing that each and every house we walk across would have, then that would be a soul of it's own. At least that's what it feels like to me.

The people are weird, too. Not in a negative way, they're nice and friendly, nearly every second person we encounter is greeting Tachibana with a smile on their face. But they, too, have a somewhat heavy atmosphere around them. They're not just business people or office workers, or in this case fishermen or tradespeople. There is much more around their attitude. They are actual persons, each of them with a story to tell and an own, strong mind. It scares me a bit to tell the truth.

At the same time I'm fascinated like a little child on it's very first holiday trip.

When Tachibana talks to the townspeople, he seems to speak another language. I'm just not used to it, I keep reminding myself, not used to hear his dialect. He mentions my name sometimes, explaining who I am. A friend of his, he says and smiles and the other would smile at me, too.

Friends of your friends are your friends as well, huh? I still feel like an outsider, an intruder.

I honestly am relieved when we reach the Tachibana household.

 

“I'm ba- uhck!”, Tachibana tries to greet his family, but instantly is jumped, literally jumped, by two little kids. “Big brother!!!”, they hail together. So his siblings, I guess.

“Ren, Ran...”, the big brother muffles in respond, buried under them.

Then they ask who I would be, and at the very moment he mentions me being a friend, I'm jumped at, too. His mother comes and picks them up, apologising for their behaviour.

Tachibana then introduces us all with each other. His mum, his dad, the twins, they all welcome me here. I'm grateful for that, but I can't help but to think of it as strange. Who would so open-heartedly welcome a stranger in their house and family, a person they've never met before?

After dinner Tachibana suggests we'd go to bed soon, he is exhausted and I'm tired, so I take a quick shower while Tachibana prepares a second bed for me. We sleep in the same room, when we both lie here, thoroughly wrapped in warm sheets, I concentrate on his breathing again.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best to explain the misunderstandings as clear as possible...  
> Please tell me if there's something unclear or if something's not making sense, I'll do my best to fix it

During breakfast he decides we would go swimming. But by now I more and more get the feeling he didn't just happen to decide all those things he decided recently. Like, a trip home, swimming at the indoor swimming pool. In fact, it rather feels like sort of a plan or something.

He tells me the history of this pool on our way there, how he once swum there with his friends, then it nearly got severed, now his former swimming teacher build it up out of the ruins it was back then. Today everyone could swim there again, he exclaims happily.

 

“Mako-chaaan!!”, I hear and Tachibana sighs heavily.

“That”, he nods towards the blond boy waving frantically at us, “is Nagisa. The one nicknaming me. The other is Rei”, he now nods towards the one with glasses.

“And this here”, he grabs my hand and smiles, “is Aomine”

Their faces drop dead. Nagisa first was glad seeing his friend again, now he stares at me with blank shock. Rei is no better, with his half opened mouth and disbelieve in his eyes.

“Nice to meet you”, I greet them, not letting go of Tachibana's hand. Although I barely keep my laughter in, I try my best to sound as normal as I could.

“But...but”, Nagisa stutters, “There was a girl...on the phone...”

Ah, so he had spoken with Satsuki. Then actually, both sides got into a misunderstanding. Satsuki thought of Nagisa's friend as a girl because of the name and didn't mentioned the arrangement was for a friend of her so Nagisa thought of me as a girl because of Satsuki's voice. How complicated.

But, it's fun to see them confused. So I play my role nearly as perfect as Tachibana plays his.

“Nope”, I shake my head, “I'm a guy. The one you were talking to is a friend of mine”

My words let panic spread over his face and he turns into an apologetic mess.

“It's okay”, Tachibana reassures him, “I don't mind him being a guy, so we're dating now”

And once again, payback. Their expressions are priceless. I break out in laughter now, can't hold it back anymore. It's too much fun.

 

In the changing room they both take me aside, Rei pushing up his glasses.

“You don't really date each other, do you?”, Nagisa asks with a wary voice and concern in his eyes.

I feel a little pinch in my chest, but ignore it. A grin creeps on my lips. “My, my, of course we are!”, my eyes dart in Tachibana's direction, “We came together due to a whole bunch of misunderstandings, but I'm glad about it, he's such a cute one!”

Nagisa takes in a deep breath, Rei pushes his glasses up again, then speaks up. “Well, in that case, we as his friends are supposed to tell you: We wouldn't want to see him hurt”, determination on their faces, Nagisa continues, “Mako-chan isn't cute only, he's a wonderful person, so don't do anything bad to him!”

Another pinch inside my chest. Now my lips let go of the grin and press together.

“As if I would ever do something”, I tell them with a deadly serious expression, “to my boyfriend without his consent” I know my voice is loud enough for Tachibana to hear, but I don't care.

“I admit, I'm a stupid ass sometimes. But I'm not that much of an ass to want him being hurt”

They gulp. I look scary, I'm aware of that. I'm honestly upset, that's nothing I have to play for my role, I really am. And they sense that, too.

“T-then...I guess it's okay”, Rei, once again, pushes up his glasses. A habit, it seems.

“Didn't I told you so?”, Tachibana startles them, approaching right behind them. I've seen him coming, but the other two were facing him with their backs, so they didn't.

“I did mention I'm happy being with Aomine, didn't I?”, he asks his friends again.

They nod, ashamed for not believing his words, and mumble a “Sorry” towards me before dashing out and into the pool. Seconds later they are laughing again.

We do nothing but look at each other. Then his smile reappears. “Let's get going, too”, Tachibana says and drags me to the pool.

 


	6. Chapter 6

It's late afternoon when we leave. It was fun doing something other than basketball. But it also was somewhat confusing. Tachibana told me he was studying to become a teacher for swimming, a professional one. However, he didn't looked like that back in the pool. He was smiling and laughing all the time, joking around with the other two or with random kids hanging out there, too. His body is professional though, one can tell with a single look at his back musculature. After all, he specialises on the back stroke. But that's all about it. Or so I thought.

 

Spacing out a bit my attention snaps back to reality and away from my chain of thoughts when I see an old, rundown court in the corner of my eye. I turn around to Tachibana, grinning.

“One-on-one?”, I ask him. He doesn't know what I mean. I wonder, has he ever played basketball before?

 

“Aomine...where did that ball came from all of a sudden?”, he watches the ball on the tip of my finger spinning around. I laugh, “You've got your swimsuit always with you to always be able to swim, so I have my ball always with me to always be able to play basketball”

It's no good of an explanation, but it's the only one I have.

 

“You know how to play?”, I ask over my shoulder while heading towards the court.

When he catches up, he shakes his head. “No, I don't know, not really. I used to play sometimes when I was a kid, but actually, I can't even dribble properly”

 

Normally, with every person stating something like that, I would turn on my heels and go. I'm one of the best players, why should I care for those who couldn't even handle the basics? Normally, every player playing by my side, even the better ones, wouldn't want to play long, soon enough they would notice I'm too good, they couldn't ever reach me. So they'd leave. I'm playing alone most of the time, with or without a team, that didn't even matter. If I want to win, I would win alone. And if I want to lose, I still would win alone. Me and me only.

 

All those thoughts are crushing my mind. Whatever I'd try out, it was still black in my head when standing on a blank court with an empty heart. But right now, I throw all of these out.

Right now, there is none of that. There is nothing to win. No one to defeat. There is just Tachibana, not even able to dribble or pass the ball.

 

I'll have to show him, I think to myself, I'll have to teach him. He would never be able to do it right if no one does. And who else could show him, teach him better than I? After all, there is hardly anyone who can beat me but me. So I do it.

 

“Look”, I say, grab the ball and dribble it a few times.

He chuckles, “That's awesome! But I can't possibly mimic that”

“Don't mimic, just look”, now I dribble slower, so he can follow with his eyes.

Then I take his hand, touching his fingertips. “The ball's in your hand”, I try to explain, “Through the energy in your fingers, which flows to the ball, touches the ground and bounces back to you, but it is always in your hand”

 

We spend the rest of the day playing basketball. I didn't realise until I'm once again back in bed, once again concentrating on Tachibana's breathing, albeit today I should rather call it snoring. Just then realisation hit's me. Today, it was fun. I had fun playing basketball.

 


	7. Chapter 7

As if I'd been slapped with a cold, wet towel, I'm fully awake now.

It hurts. I don't have a clue why, but it hurts. Just like that fist bump with Tetsu after I lost.

Ah, but it's not exactly the same, I recognise, while I clench my hand to a fist. Back then it was a pain of relief. I don't feel relieved right now, more like an utter idiot. It's like when I saw Kagami playing against Rakuzan. Just when do I learn?

Why haven't I understood? Of course basketball is no fun playing alone. Why did I insist on playing alone then? I don't get it. I just don't get it. Again.

 

I breathe in deeply to calm down myself. I want to play again. I feel it in my legs and toes and arms and fingertips. I want to play again. I haven't won anything, I didn't lose either. And strangely, it's more fun playing like that than winning a match or losing a match against someone truly amazing could be fun.

 

“You okay?”, a sleepy but worried Tachibana asks.

I breathe in and out again. “Yeah”, I sigh, “finally”

He was fast asleep just a minute ago. Was I that loud? I didn't notice.

“Sorry for waking you up”, I add.

He rustles a bit, I guess it should be a shake of his head, then he steps out of bed and comes over, seats himself on the edge of my bed. He looks at me and is silent for a while, I almost thought he wouldn't speak anymore, as he asks. “Why are you crying then?”

I touch my cheeks, my hands are slightly moist.

“Don't know”, of course, that wouldn't convince him I'd be okay.

So I just say what comes to my mind. “I'm glad”

“Glad?” “Yeah”

He is awake by now, too. I can't see his face very well, it's still dark in here, but I heared the confusion in his voice. “You played basketball with me and it was fun”, I explain.

He chuckles at that, ruffling my hair like you would a child's one when it did something good.

“Me too”, he whispers, “You swum with me and it was fun, so I'm happy too”

“Swimming is quite important to you, huh?”

“So is basketball to you”, he counters my question.

“Yeah, but...”, I trail off. It wasn't the same, he always has fun swimming.

He pushes me a bit and I move so he could sit right next to me.

Again, he keeps silent for a while before I can hear his hushed voice.

“Quiet and cold, you felt that way on the court, you said”, I inhale deeply, yeah, I remember saying stuff like that. I'm just glad he can't see my embarrassment over it right now.

“I once felt the same way about swimming, back then, when I was little. I admired a fisherman. He would sail on the sea, leaving early in the morning and returning late in the evening. Until one day, he didn't”, Tachibana tells me and I listen closely.

“He died in a storm, drowning in the ocean. Since then, I'm scared of it. It took me some time to learn how to enjoy swimming again, without the fear of water taking one's life”

“It took time”, he repeats, “and friends by my side. If it wasn't for Haru, I wouldn't be swimming today. Do you know why I prefer the back stroke so much?”

I don't, so he tells me, looking at me. “I can see the sky above me and am no longer afraid of the water beneath me”

To see the sky. I haven't thought of that when watching him.

So that's what it was. He knew before I did, that we're the same.

“I didn't want to stop swimming, I wanted to stay where I wanted to be and so I did. Look where I am now. Studying swimming so I can teach others what no one ever taught me. You don't have to feel at home on an empty court. I don't feel at home when I'm swimming in the ocean on my own either”, his words are spoken with a strong and unfaltering voice.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Time for our lil' Dai-chan to realize some feelings ;D

I get a good telling-off for skipping school and practise and not telling Satsuki where I've been. She even slaps me in front of the whole team, tears in her eyes. She always worries too much. And I tell her that. I draw her into a hug and tell her she'd worry over nothing and everything would be okay. She cries half an hour, burying her face in my shirt. I apologise several times and promise to never do it again, so finally she stops sobbing.

 

“You sure you're okay?”, she asks me. Because, if she were angry with me, I always would get angry with her, too. I apologise for that as well.

“Where have you been the whole time?”, she wants to know.

“Iwatobi”, I tell her, not able to hide a smile. But, I figure, I don't want to hide it, so it's okay for her to see. “Tachibana's home town. He introduced me to his family and friends”

She looks straight in my eyes, searching for something. Falsehood in my words? The reason for my smile? Am I tricking her? Am I dishonest? Am I okay? I don't know what she is looking for. She is the one of us good at reading people.

“You are serious, aren't you?”

I don't get what she is referring to exactly, but I nod, because there was nothing I said or did that I didn't mean to say or do.

“You really are serious about Tachibana”, she recurs, as if convincing herself, “I thought you two were just pretending...I'm sorry”, she smiles as she apologises.

 

“No...actually”, my lips act on their own, “Actually I should be sorry.”

I reach out and gently wipe Satsuki's tears away.

“I thought we'd just be pretending, too”, my mouth keeps spilling words, “We meant to pay you back”

 

It was supposed to be payback. Nothing more than that. But, all of what Tachibana did, it sure wasn't in order of payback. It was above and beyond that.

He wanted to fix me, for whatever reason. Maybe just because I reminded him of himself, when he was broken by the one thing he loves and needed someone to fix him. I'm just guessing though, I don't know why he was so gentle and kind with someone as awful as me. If I would meet someone who behaved like I have, I'd totally batter them. I don't know why Tachibana cares for me.

But what I know is that it's not payback. Satsuki waits for me to speak again, watching me with a strange look. I sigh and release her out of my arms' firm grip.

“It seems”, I laugh, a bit flustered, “It seems like I rather managed to trick myself instead of you”

It's not payback anymore. At least not for me. I don't want to break up with Tachibana, never talking to him and never going to see him again. I kind of like him, I want to be with him.

I want to play basketball with him.

 

I just now realise everyone staring at us like we'd gone completely bonkers.

“I don't even want to know”, Wakamatsu mumbles to himself and turns around.

Sakurai apologises (for what?) and goes back to warming up.

Still a bit nervous I grab a ball an begin dribbling it to get all the sudden confusion out of my head.

It was a good training session today, I really put my everything into it.

And at the same time, it was all no good. My mind wouldn't come to a rest, even after practise was long over.

 

So here I am, jogging in the middle of the night because I couldn't sleep. It's disgustingly cold outside but too warm for snow at the same time, it's raining and ridiculously dark. And once again, I feel like an absolute idiot.

Coming home, I'm soaking wet.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently read a story made of I guess 90% chat dialogue and I was impressed and curious about it, so I wanted to know how this works and tried it out...  
> Let's say I really, really respect that writer now

01:08

From: Aomine

To: Mako-chaaan

Message: -no subject-

_u sleeping_

 

01:16

From: Mako-chaaan

To: Aomine

Message: -no subject-

_Was until now_

_What is it? Are you okay?_

 

01:29

From: Aomine

To: Mako-chaaan

Message: -no subject-

_was jogging til now_

 

01:31

From: Mako-chaaan

To: Aomine

Message: -no subject-

_You were jogging?! Why?_

_It's 1:30 am! And raining!_

_You'll catch a cold!_

 

01:32

From: Aomine

To: Mako-chaaan

Message: -no subject-

_i knoooow_

 

01:35

From: Aomine

To: Mako-chaaan

Message: -no subject-

_i dunno_

_training_

 

01:36

From: Mako-chaaan

To: Aomine

Message: -no subject-

_That's a horrible excuse, you know_

_What's wrong with you?_

 

01:47

From: Mako-chaaan

To: Aomine

Message: -no subject-

_Do I have to come over to check on you?_

 


	10. Chapter 10

I took a shower, and of course, I couldn't take my mobile with me. So I didn't answer immediately, and now Tachibana, worried to no end over nothing and drenched in rain's water too, is standing in my doorway.

 

“I'm sorry”, I say the hundredths time, “I didn't mean to trouble you”

“Idiot!”, he scolds, but even when scolding he has a gentle tone in his voice, “Of course I'd worry if you text me in the middle of the night and then don't answer!”

 

We bicker about it, then we fall silent again. I wordlessly shove him into the bathroom and fetch some of my clothes for him to change into. While he showers, I put the kettle on to make us some tea.

 

When Satsuki asked, I insisted I'd be okay. Just now I did the same with Tachibana. But they keep worrying, so I guess I really am not that much of okay that I thought I'd be. But what's wrong with me then? I know Tachibana will ask me again, however, I honestly don't know the answer myself.

I'm a stupid idiot, aren't I?

 

He comes into the kitchen, stays next to me, stares at the slowly boiling water with me. That alone makes me nervous and exhausted at the same time. The clock's quietly ticking, there is no one here but him. What's the point in trying to fool myself?

 

“It's not payback anymore”, I sigh, aware of my words coming out loud enough to be heard.

Tachibana now stares at me, I feel his burning look. Then he turns away, “What's it, then?”

“What it is? How should I possibly know?”, I sigh.

 

The water is ready and I prepare two cups of green tea, place them on the little table and sit down on one of the chairs. Tachibana seats himself and still is watching me.

“I know”, he silently explains, “that it's not payback anymore. But to be honest: for me, it wasn't from the very beginning”

 

Now it's my turn to stare. Unease and a quiet apology in his green eyes. He averts my gaze by looking down and shyly mumbles, “I never had to pretend. I'm sorry for that, but I like you. I like being with you”

I'm still staring, so I notice the little drops falling down his cheek. They're not many, but they're tears nonetheless.

Just as I wanted to say something myself, he jerks his head up, smiling at me.

“Guess that's it then?”, he laughs. Why does he laugh? He hadn't said anything funny if I remember correctly. I remain serious, giving him an earnest look and a firm “No”

Like a thunderbolt had struck through him, he completely freezes.

He hadn't seen that coming. He was sure I'd break up, now that our original goal has been achieved. It somehow makes me smile.

 

“Don't think about leaving me, babe”, I tell him, smiling.

It's rare for me to be so gentle and to show it even more.

The tears begin falling again, but this time out of relief.

“Okay”, he sobs, “Okay, I won't, I promise”

I nod at that, “Good”

 

The warmth of Tachibana's body next to mine, his slight snoring and breathing in my ears.

It's a comforting feeling. I slept well that night.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter :D  
> It's more like a epilogue though, shorter and out of Makoto's POV
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed reading this at least as much as I enjoyed writing it ;D

The first thing coming to my mind was _Oh shit_. Right after that my heart begins pounding like crazy, I feel panic rising, I start to hold my breath and I'm sure I'm blushing furiously too.

_Just what the hell_ , I scold myself, _have I done?_ Blurting my feelings, even crying in front of him, I could die from embarrassment!

“Haaa...”, I exhale. It's too late now anyway. It's morning already, so I can't change what I've done yesterday night. I calm down a bit. A bit only. He has his head pillowed on my chest.

 

“You alright?”, Aomine muffles into the pyjama shirt he borrowed me.

I nervously try to answer, “I...I think so? W-why?”

“Your heart is pounding like crazy...and you stopped breathing”, he says and I clearly hear the smile in his voice, though it sounds a bit hoarse. Not doing any good, I just get more and more flustered. “D-don't say...you were awake?”

“Hn”, he huffs.

 

I don't know how to respond to that, so I make an attempt on calming down again, breathing in, breathing out.

 

He lifts his head, fever-bright eyes searching for mine. I instantly sit up, bringing him with me, checking his temperature with my hand.

“You idiot!”, my nervousness all forgotten, “I told you you'd catch a cold!”

 


End file.
